The Wine: 2017 Tablas Creek Vineyards, Picpoul Blanc
- Clear appearance with lemon to pale gold color
- Clean and medium pronounced nose
- Aromas of lemon zest, citrus blossom, sweet baking spices, ginger, wet stone, green pear, tropical juicy pineapple
- Clean and medium-bodied on the palate
- Flavors of juicy pineapple, passion fruit, sweet spices, and sea spray with mouthwatering acidity
- A beautiful, fruit-driven expression of Picpoul Blanc
The Winery: Tablas Creek Vineyards
Tablas Creek was founded in 1989 by two leading families in the international wine industry. The Perrin family of Château de Beaucastel and the Haas family of Vineyard Brands sought out the perfect piece of land in California ideal for producing premium Rhône varieties. Tablas Creek soon became the pioneering force behind the Rhône movement in California. Their vineyards are certified organic, mostly dry farmed and adhere to biodynamic farming practices.
In order to establish the highest quality of Rhône varieties, the winery imported cuttings of Mourvedre, Grenache, Syrah, Counnoise, Roussanne, Marsanne, Viognier, Grenache Blanc, and Picpoul Blanc from the Beaucastel estate in France. Following a USDA 3-year quarantine to ensure the plants were virus free, Tablas Creek planted rootstock fields and built grafting and greenhouse facilities to propagate and graft the French cuttings. Since then, the winery has sold over five million cuttings to nearly 600 vineyards all over America.
The Region: Paso Robles
Tablas Creek is located in the Adelaida District on the west side of Paso Robles. The biodynamic estate sits on a 120-acre parcel twelve miles inland from the Pacific Ocean. The winery and estate is named for the creek that runs through the property. The soils of the estate consist of shallow, rocky limestone, reminiscent of the soils back in France at Château de Beaucastel. The average vineyard elevation sits at 1,500 ft and sufficient rainfall in the winter allows for dry farming of most of the Tablas Creek vineyards. Paso Robles is characterized by sunny, warm days with cool nights, exhibiting a significant diurnal temperature swing. This climate is ideal for grape growing as the warm days allow the fruit to ripen, while cooler nights help to retain crisp acidity and flavors.
Pairing Suggestions for the 2017 Tablas Creek Picpoul Blanc:
- Chicken piccata
- Lemon butter scallops and herbed rice pilaf
- Tom kha gai (Thai coconut soup)
- Fresh oysters
- Crab cakes with fennel salad
